Basement membrane zone gene expression by fibroblast cultures was examined by molecular hybridizations with human sequence specific cDNAs corresponding to type 1V procollagen and laminin subunit polypeptides. Northern transfer analysis with total RNA revealed the presence of specific mRNA transcripts for al (IV) and a2 (1V) chains of type 1V procollagen as well as Bl and B2 chains of laminin. Laminin A chain mRNAs were not detected using the same RNA preparations. The molecular size of al (1V) and a2 (1V) procollagen mRNA revealed 6.8kb and 6.7kb, respectively. The molecular size of Bl chain of laminin revealed 5.6kb, and B2 chain revealed 8.2 and 5.5kb polymorphic transcripts. In slotblot analysis using densitometer, steady-state levels of type IV procollagen and laminin mRNAs indicated that they were in relatively low abunclance, as compaired with type I procollagen mRNA. Quantitative levels of al (IV) and laminin Bl chaii mRNAs were more abundant than those of a2 (IV) and laminin B2 mRNAs. The mRNA ratio of al (IV)/a2 (lV) and laminin Bl/B2 were 1.9 and 1.5, respectively. These results demonstrate evidence for differential regulation of the expression of different basement membrane zone molecules during the formation of basement membrane.
Basement Membrane ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen Type IV* ; DNA, Complementary ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Laminin* ; Peptides ; Procollagen ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E*

Modified Mohs surgery is a procedure which eliminated chemical fixation step from Mohs chemosurgery. This technique is faster, less painful and more tissue conserving, allows for immediste repairs, yields higher quality histologic preparations and facilitates an interdisciplinary apporoach; it is the treatment of choice for recurrent or difficult skin cancers. A 58-year-old femele patient presented with a 2x 3cm sized dark brownish, ulcerated nodule on the left upper eyelid. Histopathologic findings revealed several small solid nest composed of basalioma cells in the dermis. We treated with modified Mohs surgery and obtained good result.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Dermis ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mohs Surgery* ; Skin Neoplasms ; Ulcer

Histoid leproma usually occur in pat.ients with lepromatous leproy who have had relapsed after being undcr treatment(usually sulfones) for a long time and who have shown variable improvement. A 56 year old female patient who had been suffering from lepromatous leprosy and had been treated which clapsone relatively regularly for approximately 28 years had a history of several shiny rice grain t.o peanut sized nodules on the face and right flank. Histopathologic examination of a specimen taken from a nodular lesian revealed a well circirmscrihed nodule composed mainly of spindle-shaped cells and epithe:ioi 1 cells on the upper and mid-levmis, and granuloma composed of epithelioid cells, multinucleated wait cells and foamy histiocytes on the lower dermis. In AFB stain, numerous acid-fast bacilli were scatt red dermis and epidermis, especially stratum corneum. This study opplied a polymease chain reaction(PCR) on sections of biopsy tissues and peripheral blood of pat.ient. Positive amplification of a 530 bp fragment was deteated not only in the lesion tissues but also in the per ipher al blood.
Biopsy ; Edible Grain ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Epithelioid Cells ; Female ; Granuloma ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium leprae* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

BACKGROUND: Recent clinial observations have suggested that colchicine, which is in frequent use in gout can affect the conneciive tissue metabolism in skin and other ti.ues. OBJECTIVE: This study suggest that further development of colchiine might provide a novel means of modulating collagen gen expression in patients with fibrotic disease. METHOD: We examed the effect of colchicine on the expres, on of collagen, fibronectin and collagenase gene by skin filroblast culture hy Nort.hern and dot-blot iybridization. Result : The rate of transcription of genomic DNA corresponding o type I collagen and libvonectin was reduced in colchicine-treated cultures but collagenase was not. reduced. Canclusion : The microti.ikile disruptive agent, colchicine, reduced the expression of type I collagen and fibronectin in a dose-(lependent manner. This st.udy suppor that colchicine is one of the promising antifibrogenic drugs curvently being tested as a treatment, of hun an fibrotic disease.
Colchicine* ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen* ; Collagenases ; DNA ; Fibroblasts ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression* ; Gout ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Skin

No abstract available.
Animals ; Heart* ; Rats* ; Wisconsin*

The present study investigated the prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium parvum as a cause of diarrhea. We examined 942 stools of unidentified reasons occurring in patients in whom no immunosuppression had been detected. We examined the stools for Cryptosporidium parvum via modified acid-fast staining. The clinical records of all of the positive patients were then analyzed. Nine (1%) of the stools among the 942 diarrheal patients were positive for C. parvum. The positive rate in the males was 1.1% (6/522) and the positive rate of the females was 0.7% (3/420). Age distribution revealed that the highest positive rates were in patients in their sixties, with a positive rate of 2.5% (4/158). In the clinical tests, levels of c-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rates, and neutrophil proportions were normally increased in the peripheral blood, whereas the lymphocyte proportion exhibited a tendency towards decrease. The pathological findings were compatible with an inflammatory reaction in the host.
Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Child, Preschool ; Cryptosporidiosis/*epidemiology/immunology ; *Cryptosporidium/isolation & purification ; Cryptosporidium parvum/isolation & purification ; Diarrhea/*epidemiology/immunology/parasitology ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; HIV Seronegativity ; Humans ; Immunocompetence ; Korea/epidemiology ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Staining and Labeling

Transforming growth factor beta(TGF-p), initially identified in vlatelet extracts by virtue of its ability to confer anchorage of independent growth and a necplastic phenotype on mesenchymal cells, has subsequently been identified as a potent inh bit or of proliferation in most cells of epithelial origin. The family of TGF-p peptides is currenly onsisted of four subtypes (TGF-pl, p2, p3, p4). Tkiey are initially translated very larged are urssors of approximately 390 amino acids and produced by a wide variety of cell type. iricluding normal cells and tumor cells. TGF-ps promote deposition of extracellular matrix compcineits, facilitate remodeling events during embryonic development, and suppress immune ce 1 fimetion during the inflammatory process. Several nutaneous diseases are characterized typxcessive and progressive fibrosis of the dermis anil subcutaneous tissues. Prominent amon these disorders are progressive systemic sclerosi(PSS) and generalized morphea(GM), is well as the recently described syndrome of diffuse fasciitis eosinophilia(DF), also known; Shulmans syndrome. The hallmark of the pathologic alteration in these disorders is the excessive deposition of collagen and other connenctive iissues. Macromoleculse in the aerriis and/or the subcutaneous and fascial strutures often accompanied by variable degress of hronic inflammatory cell infiltrates. Now we have examined the expression of TGF-b1 mRNA using of northern blot hybridization with specific sequenced cDNA probe in the normal curltured fibroblasts, placental tissues, and fibrosarcorna derived tumor cell line(HT1080). We found that the size of TGF-b mRNA of each specimen was 2.5kb and theres no alteration of its quality.
Amino Acids ; Blotting, Northern ; Collagen ; Dermis ; DNA, Complementary ; Embryonic Development ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fasciitis ; Female ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Peptides ; Phenotype ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger* ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Virtues

Leukemia cutis is defined as infiltration of the skin by malignant leukocytes that have originated from the bone marrow. The cutaneous eruption of leukcmia may be divided into the specific and non-specific lesion (leukemid). These may occur separately or in combination. True leukemia infiltrations of the skin consist of nodular, diffuse, or plaque-like infiltrations with swelling, macules, papules, ecchymoses, palpable purpura, erythroderma, and ulceration. A 55-year-old man presented with multiple as mptomatic dark-brown nodules on the whole body with recurrent gingival bleeding. The patient developed seoticemia and died 6 months after the onset of the disease.
Bone Marrow ; Dermatitis, Exfoliative ; Ecchymosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Leukocytes ; Middle Aged ; Purpura ; Skin ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Keloid* ; Recurrence*